First Republic of New Englia
The Republic of New Englia, is a Federal Republic on the continent of Dovani. It occupies land between the Rift Mountains and the Eastern Coast of Dovani. It is bordered by Kazulia to the North and Hulstria to the West and South. It was founded in 2348 after an expedition sponsored by Peter Lucas, during his dictatorship. After the Second Kirlawan Civil War led to the reuniting of the mother country in 2369, the Republic of Kirlawa officially recognised New Englia as its colony. The majority of the population are Irish, with the descendants of Kirlawan colonists in the dominant middle and upper classes of society. There is a large creole minority, as well as small numbers of people from various Dovani tribes, particularly the Welsh. The events transpired in the "New Englian Crisis" lead to an argeement between the countries of Kazulia, Hulstrian, Kirlawa, and Sekowo to jointly operated the territory in a council-government fashion mandated by the "Treaty of New Indrala", the treaty that ended the crisis. In 2773, it will be decided if New Englia will become an independent nation, be absorded into other Dovani territory, or continue to be jointly-operated. The confrence supported a vote by the people to decide their future. The vote showd 75% of people favored New Englia becoming an independent country. On March 1, New Englia became an independent nation and held its first elections in March 2783 to determine the HoS and the seats in the National Assembly. History Pre-colonial Not much is known about the area prior to 2348, as the Irish tribes that inhabited the area did not keep many records and those that did exist were often destroyed by the early colonists. It is thought that the Irish migrated to the area in about 1000, either displacing or assimilating an earlier local native people. Certainly artefacts suggest a major cultural shift from an almost stone-age culture the Celtic bronze age at this time. The Irish are believed to have been moving through the Rift Mountains after leaving their Welsh forebears on the Northern Plain. Lucasite Colony In 2348, Peter Lucas demanded that a colony be set up, in order to expand the power of Kirlawa and to form a legacy. To this day, the central province and it's capital are named Lucasia after him. There have been attempts to change this in the past, but there is considerable local resistance. The Lucasite colonists were largely fanatical fascists, and they had no respect for the native people. On arrival, they enslaved thousands and massacred whole villages in order to establish control. For the first few decades, conditions for the Irish were terrible, and many fled into the Rift Mountains. In 2369 the Lucas regime was defeated in the Second Civil War, but due to the considerable need for reconstruction the Kirlawan authorities were unable to exert control over the colony. Many Lucasites fled Kirlawa for New Englia at this time, including Peter Lucas' grandson Peter Lucas III, who in 2374 took personal control of the colony. By the 2380s, Kirlawa was sufficiently stable to be able to send a fleet to take control from the colonists. There was a guerilla war fought by hardline Lucasites, but when Peter Lucas III was killed in action in 2389 resistance largely melted away. Colonial Reform After 2389 the colony of New Englia was split into three provinces, each named after their major town. The governor of each province was appointed directly by the Kirlawan President, and had full control over domestic affairs. Each Province had a provincial council made up of Kiwalan citizens, dominated by the landed class. Only full Kirlawans with property had the right to vote. Slavery was abolished as the Kirlawan Republic gained control, with their owners receiving compensation. Larger plantations were broken up, but the land was still almost totally owned by Kirlawan colonists. The ex-slaves often became indentured labourers and while they gained a few rights, were not much better off in material terms for some time. During the early years of the 25th Century, a communist insurgency grew up in remote areas, and the Governors clamped down on dissent. In 2416, Kirlawa attempted to move towards more far-reaching reforms, and invited interested nations to a conference on the future of New Englia. At the time, Dovani conciousness was not high, and few countries attended. The New Englian governors did not favour full independence, as they feared that the communists would incite a full revolution, so the only proposal that was acceptable to all was to move gradually towards Home Rule as the rebellion was put down. It took until the 2430s before much reform took place. The franchise was extended to all full Kirlawans regardless of property status in 2341. In 2348 this was further changed to include all ethnic Artanians and mixed-race creoles. The Irish and other Dovanis did not get citizenship until the New Englian Reform Act of 2479. During the 2450s the powers of the Governors were steadily reduced, with more being handed to the Provincial Councils. The Kirlawan government still held power of veto over many areas of policy. The Irish population were at this time able to enjoy more civil rights, and after the depression of 2464-8 the power of the plantation-owners declined. Industry started to become a more important feature of the New Englian economy and the mineral resources of the Rift Mountains fed it with coal, iron and tin. The Irish were able to take up less menial employment and enter skilled work. This fuelled the calls for further reform. The 2479 Reforms not only granted all adults in New Englia full democratic and civil rights, but also reduced the direct influence of the Kirlawan state. The Governors were reduced to figureheads, with only their judicial functions remaining relatively intact. The Provincial Councils were renamed the Provincial Assemblies, and their practices were formalised. At a national level, the New Englian Congress was formed to act as the main government. It's members were initially nominated by the Assemblies alone, but in 2532 it was decided to have 40% of the members elected on a PR basis. From this point on, Kirlawa no longer considered New Englia to be a colony, but a dependant protectorate. The government declared that the 2416 pledge to bring Home Rule had at last been fulfilled. Home Rule The period after the 25th Century reforms were largely stable, and the economy blossomed. Trade with other parts of Dovani developed, and the port of New Indrala became the largest city on the back of exports to Artania. The capital moved to New Indrala from Lucasia in 2671. Irish nationalism was always bubbling up in the background, but a succession of Liberal governments in this period did much to placate the feelings of most natives. Calls for full independence were often made, but the established political class managed to persuade most voters that a change in the status quo would lead to instability. Non-Irish Dovanis were wary of some Irish rhetoric, particularly when some members of the most hardline pro-independence party, Sinn Fein (Gaelic for 'We Ourselves') talked about the 'purity' of the Irish culture. The Lucasites remained a constant factor in the politics of New Englia, particularly in Lucasia. They provided a brake to independence by threatening civil war in the event of loosening of ties to Kirlawa. The Lucas family had a considerable business empire, and a significant minority of Kirlawans hankered for the colonial days. During the 27th Century, the generally stable nature of New Englia continued. The three main political parties, the centre-left New Dawn Party, the libertarian Liberals and the traditionally conservative Family Alliance dominated and all pursued a generally pro-Kirlawan policy. The independence movement coalesced around the Englian Independence Party in 2654. Where Sinn Fein called for an Irish state immediately, the EIP preferred to work within the political system and effect gradual change. While they supported the minority Liberal governments of 2672-4, 2682-7 and 2697-9, they achieved little. New Englian Crisis In February 2702, the Kazulian Stortinget (parliament) started to discuss a Bill calling for the annexation of New Englia with the goal of bringing it under full Dovani control. The bill appeared to have majority support, but did not go straight to the vote. On hearing of the Bill, the NDP government of New Englia ordered mobilisation of the armed forces. This was considered to be an over-reaction by many, and it resulted in Kazulian hired mercenaries moving to the border. The Kirlawan government called for calm (while insisting that they would act to defend New Englia against aggression), and called for an international conference to discuss New Englia's future. At the end of the conference, it was decided that New Englia would become an independent nation. =Politics & Government= New Englia is considered an Independent nation with a working governmnet of 3 branches that are bounded by checks and balances to ensure no branch becomes too powerful. Executive New Englia is a Federal Republic with a Governor-General as head of state and government. Until 2861, the Prime Minister filled the role of head of government but, Congress dissolved the position to create a more efficient executive branch. The Governor-General is subject to no term limits and is aided by a cabinet of 10 departments as well as a Vice-General. The nation is also served by numerous independent agencies and organizations. Cabinet Secretary of Foreign Affairs: Janet McLaren Secretary of National Affairs: Michio Fukazawa Secretary of Defense: James Wallace Secretary of Finance: Olga Staufenberk Attorney General: Veronica Hoffman Secretary of Trade & Commerce: Fredrick Thomson Secretary of Immigration: Ababajoni Nwosu Secretary of Transportation: Matthew Eisenberger Secretary of Education: Anechka Kalandarishvili Secretary of Health & Social Services: Amaka Obasanjo Independent Agencies National Emergency Agency (NEA) Intelligence Bureau (IB) Federal Aviation Board (FAB) Housing Authority (HA) National Welfare Administration (NWA) National Labor Administration (NLA) Office of Ethnic Affairs (OEA) Postal Commision (PC) Office of Enviromental Oversight (OEO) Office of Budget Management (OBM) National Transportation Agency (NTA) Ambassadors NATO: Iustig Cadawalder United Nations of Terra: Boris Gusarov Legislative The nation is supported by a 350 seat bicameral legislature known as the Congress of New Englia. The upper house is the Senate and the lower house is the National Assembly. The Senate has 50 seats and the National Assembly has 300 seats. Elections for the Assembly and Senate are every 3 years. In order to fill all 350 seats, each of the 25 provinces are divided into Congressional Districts. The National Assembly divides the 300 seats based upon population while, each province is given 2 senate seats. National Assembly Assembly Speaker: Scott McLaren (NDP) Seats: 300 Majority New-Dawn Party -Leader: James Ivey -Whip: Vernon Coakley Minority Progressive Party -Leader: Porter Scott -Whip: Oliver Pratt Colonial Party -Leader: Martin Blake -Whip: Larry Keaton Freedom Party -Leader: Mike Prince -Whip: Rondell McClain Current Makeup -New-Dawn Party: 225 -Progressive Party: 31 -Colonial Party: 30 -Freedom Party: 10 -Independent: 4 Senate Speaker of the Senate: Asami Fujiwara (CP) Seats: 50 Majority Colonial Party -Leader: Gregg Williams -Whip: Anna Holcolmb Minority Progressive Party -Leader: Craig Thompson -Whip: Fred Turnbull Freedom Party -Leader: Julian Tulloch -Whip: Anita Pratt New-Dawn Party -Leader: Alan Pierce -Whip: Robert Farkmon Current Makeup -Colonial Party: 14 -Progressive Party: 12 -Freedom Party: 11 -New-Dawn Party: 9 -Independent: 4 Political Parties Judiciary The highest court in the land is the Supreme Court of New Englia. The make up consists of 5 judges that rule on cases and challenge any law and deem it unconstitutional through the power of Judicial Review. Judges are nominated by the Governor-General and approved by the Senate and serve for life. There is also the New Englia Court of Apppeals and District Courts as well as Provincial Courts. Provincial Goverments New Englia has 25 Provinces each with their own government and legislative branch. =Provinces= =Demographics= Every 10 years the Office of Ethnic Affairs takes a census of the nation. The first type of census is the "Head Count Census". It tells us important information about the population of New Englia. The other census is the "Ethnic Census" is which measures the race, etnicity and religion of the nation is taken. THe third and newest one is the "Economic Census" which measures the economic status of the nation. The next one is to be taken in 2945. Race These are the results of the 2935 Ethnic Census. Ethnicity These are the ethnicities in the nation that make up a majority of the population: *Welsh *Asli *Gao-Showa *Irish Religion New Englia has many religions and no single one dominates the nation as it onced did in the 27th century when there were virtually no immagrants. 47% considere themselves Christian. Of that 47%, 36% are Catholic, 32% are Protestant, 23% are Orthodox and 9% are Non-Catholic/Other Christians. 38% are Buhddists, 10% are Jewish, 5% are Agnostic, Atheist or other non-religious. Population The 2935 Head Count Census put the nation's population at 55,205,350 Economic Status Note: (+) means a surplus and (-) means a deficit =Economy= The economy of New Englia is in the process of expanding and had experienced a period of economic growth from 2880-2893. Even with a 13 year period of growth, New Englia is still officially listed as a Developing Nation because a majority of the rural areas lack sufficient healthcare, education and other services. A weak national economy also contributes, but it's developing albeit at a slow pace. Still, the poeple of New Englia enjoy a high level of living as the average income was measured at 48,220 FRX. The unemployment index in the nation is 4.9%. The Eastern Dovani Exchange (EDEX-100) opened in November 2787 and is the first & only stcok exchange in the nation. It is becoming a rising player in the economy of Dovani and in New Englia. New Englia has experienced only one recession and that was the Recession of 2840 which lasted for 12 years from 2840 to 2852. During those years, the country's unemployment rate peaked at 9.4% and the nation's commercial sector suffered when companies left the nation. Natural Resources New Englia is rich in mineral resources, especially coal, iron, natural gas, aluminim, oil & tin. Kirlawan companies have a considerable presence, and the coastal plain is becoming heavily industrialised. DPI (Dovani Petroluem Incorporated), Fisk Southern and Rising Sun Petroleum have become considerable forces in the New Englian oil exploration game by setting up their headquarters in the nation. Long term plan call for the construction of a natural gas and oil pipelines to transfer them to various ports on western Dovani and supply the Eastern Territories and the rest of Dovani. The foothills of the Rift Mountains are also well known for their rich soil, which makes the growing of coffee, chocolate and other cash crops profitable. Commerce New Englia is also a point of trade between Dovani and Artania. Food and raw materials from Eastern Dovani are exported along with New Englian products, and consumer goods are imported. The nation has been interested in joining various free trade agreements to stimulate economic growth. The creation of the Englia Space Organization (ESO) created jobs and brought manufacturing back to the nation due to the construction of the Space Shuttle. It also marked the return of many Defense Contractors such as X-1 Aerospace and Lockler Marian. Cities such as New Indrala and Plymouth ahve become financial centers and the home of several banks such as Bank of New Englia and Southern Union. =Energy= New Englia currently generates about 33% of its energy from nuclear power, 32% comes from natural gas, 18% is hydroelectricity, 7% from wind, 6% is solar and the remaining 4% is generated from coal. =Education= New Englia ranks 51 out of 59 in the education field. The country has 340 primary and secondary schools that are maintained by each province. The nation also has nine 4-year Colleges/Universities (5 public, 4 private) and twenty 2-year Colleges. Due to the nation's under performing education system, there is a plan to allow charter schools in New Englia and there is a separate plan to let the provinces regulate the colleges and universities. Colleges & Universities Public *College of New Indrala *New Englia College *Oceanic University *Rusi University *University of New Englia Private *College of Marion & Stulburdge *Churchill College *Hartman University *Lucas College =Social Welfare= The country has numerous social programs such as Social Security, Medicare and a optional universal healthcare plan. There are even programs that help the lower class of the nation such as a Food Card and welfare checks. =Transportation= The government has only recently been involved with public transportation. Many projects to upgrade the nations transportation infrastructure are currently on hold due to funding issues. The National Transportation Agency is a government agency that competes with the private sector by providing transportation services in the nation. In addition to the extensive network of roads that serve New Englia, there is also air transportation. The nation has 8 established airports; 5 regional and 3 international. Peter Lucas-New Englia International Airport is the nation's busiest airport, handling about 13 million passengers a year. In addition to that, many sights such as Interpid Cove have been considered as a stop for cruise liners. =Media= =See Also= Constitution of New Englia Governor-General of New Englia Military of New Englia Map of New Englia McLaren Political Dynasty Foreign Relations of New Englia Category:New Englia Category:Nations Category:Dovani